New Wine in New Wineskins

CONGREGATION
FOR INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED LIFE
CONGREGATION FOR INSTITUTES
OF CONSECRATED LIFE AND AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE
SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE
YEAR OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE

1. Rejoice!
New Wine
in new Wineskins
2. Contemplate
3. Proclaim
New Wine in new Wineskins

DOCUMENTS The consecrated life and
1. Guidelines for the Administration its ongoing challenges since Vatican II
of the Assets in Institutes of Consecrated
Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
GUIDELINES
2. New Wine in new Wineskins. Guidelines
3. Economy at the Service of the Charism
and Mission. Guidelines
COLLECTION
VATICAN
DOCUMENTS
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Prima edizione Luglio 2017

Prima ristampa Ottobre 2017
Seconda ristampa Maggio 2018
On the cover:
PAOLO VERONESE, The Wedding at Cana (1563), particular
Louvre Museum, Paris
Translated by CHRISTINA COOLEY
© Copyright 2017 – Libreria Editrice Vaticana

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ISBN 978-88-266-0018-5
Nobody puts new wine into old wineskins;

if he does, the wine will burst the skins,
and the wine is lost and the skins too.
No! New wine, fresh skins!
(Mk 2:22)
INTRODUCTION
The Congregation for Institutes of conse-

crated life and Societies of apostolic life held
the Plenary session of the Dicastery from No-
vember 27-30, 2014 on the theme “New wine
in new wineskins. Consecrated life 50 years
after Lumen Gentium and Perfectae Caritatis”.
It focused on the journey that the conse-
crated life has made in the post-conciliar pe-
riod, while trying to summarize its ongoing
challenges.
These Guidelines are a product of what
emerged in the Plenary session and in subse-
quent reflection, and were created following
the many encounters held during the Year of
Consecrated Life that brought consecrated men
and women from all over the world together
in Rome, at the See of Peter.
The Church’s Magisterium has accompa-
nied the lives of consecrated people continu-
ously since the Second Vatican Council. This
Dicastery, in particular, has provided great
points of reference and value: the Instruction
Potissimum Institutioni (1990), Fraternal Life in
Community (1994), Starting Afresh from Christ
7
(2002), The Service of Authority and Obedience

Faciem Tuam (2008), and Identity and Mission
of the Religious Brother in the Church (2015).
These Guidelines are brought together as
“an exercise in evangelical discernment, wherein
we strive to recognize – in the light of the
Spirit – a call which God causes to resound in
the historical situation itself. In this situation,
and also though it, God calls” 1 the conse-
crated men and women of our time, because
“all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth
from our own comfort zone in order to reach
all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of
the Gospel” 2.
It is an exercise in ecclesial discernment
through which consecrated men and women
are called to undergo new changes so that
ideals and doctrine become real in our lives:
systems, structures, Diaconia, styles, relation-
ships and language. Pope Francis highlights
the need for this verification: “Realities are
more important than ideas. […] Realities
simply are, whereas ideas are worked out.
There has to be a continuous dialogue be-
tween the two, lest ideas become detached
from realities. It is dangerous to dwell in
1
FRANCIS, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium
(November 24, 2013), 154.
2
Ivi, 20.
8
the realm of words alone, of images and

rhetoric” 3.
Even in the wide-ranging and rich process
of accomodata renovatio taking place in the
post-Council period, consecrated life can still
find itself presented with ongoing challenges
that must be faced “with determination and
an eye to the future” 4.
In the perspective of an exercise of dis-
cernment, these Guidelines intend to find un-
suitable practices, point out blocked pro-
cesses, pose concrete questions, and ask ques-
tions about the structures of relationships,
government and formation in regard to the
real support given to the evangelical form of
life of consecrated persons.
They are guidelines to test, with parresìa, the
wineskins made to preserve the new wines that
the Spirit continues to give to his Church,
inciting us to initiate changes through con-
crete action in the short and long term.
3
Ivi, 231.
4
Ivi, 58.
9
I.
FOR NEW WINE, NEW WINESKINS
The logion of Jesus

1. A word from the Lord Jesus can illumi-
nate the journey of consecrated life in the
face of the challenges of our time and in the
spirit of the renewal called for by the Sec-
ond Vatican Council: new wine in fresh skins
(Mk 2:22). This sapiential expression from
the Lord is attested for in all of the Synoptics,
which place it in the context of the initial
phase of Jesus’ public activity. Mark the Evan-
gelist places it right at the heart of the first
criticisms from the Pharisees of Capernaum
in regard to Jesus’ freedom and autonomy to
act (Mk 2:18-22). Matthew presents the scene
of this logion earlier, as if to sealing the pro-
phetic charge of the centrality of mercy in his
words and gestures (Mt 9:16-17). Luke is even
more precise in contextualizing this provoca-
tion, underlining the impossibility of con-
versing with the old mentalities (Lk 5:36-39).
This evangelist notes that the piece of cloth
is torn from the new cloak (for Matthew, it is
11
unshrunken cloth) to be sewn onto the old

cloak. This clumsy operation provokes a
double ruin (Lk 5:36), and Luke adds yet
another telling phrase: Nobody who has been
drinking old wine wants new. “The old is good”
he says (Lk 5:39).
All three Synoptic Evangelists find it im-
portant to underline the newness of the style
in which the Lord Jesus, while revealing the
merciful face of the Father to the world,
places himself at a critical distance from the
simple observance of customary religious
schemes. Forgiving sins and embracing every
person in the mystery of suffering, and even,
of errancy, is a radical change. This change
destabilizes those who are used to the simple
repetition of a scheme in which everything is
already expected and understood. Not only
does this attitude create embarrassment, but
it becomes a reason for refusal from the very
beginning. The style in which Jesus proclaims
the Kingdom of God is based on the law of
freedom (cf. Jm 2:12) which permits a new way
of relating to people and concrete situations.
This style has all the color and flavor of a new
wine that, however, risks tearing the old wine-
skins. This image clearly shows how institu-
tional, religious, and symbolic forms must al-
ways be gaining flexibility. Without the neces-
sary flexibility, no institutional form, no
12
matter how venerable, can withstand the ten-

sions of life or respond to the appeals of
history.
2. The simile used by the Lord Jesus is as

simple as it is demanding. The wineskin in
the short parable is a container made of soft
leather that is still able to dilate, allowing the
young wine to breathe as it continues to fer-
ment. If, however, the wineskin were dry and
stiff from the wear of time, then it would no
longer be flexible enough to withstand the
intense pressure of the new wine. It would
break, causing the loss of both the wine and
the wineskin. The Evangelist John will use the
same metaphor of the best wine (Jn 2:10)
served at the wedding at Cana to indicate the
prophetic novelty of the joyous and lively
proclamation of the Gospel. The best wine and
the new wine thus become symbols of the
actions and teachings of Jesus which cannot
be kept in the old wineskins of secularized
religious schemes that are incapable of open-
ing themselves up to new promises. When the
Evangelist Luke speaks about good (chrestòs)
old wine, he is certainly referring to the at-
tachment of the Pharisees and the leaders of
the people to the standardized and rigid
forms of the past. But maybe that’s not all.
Even second-generation Christians them-
13
selves have to deal with the tendency to not

open up completely to the newness of the
Gospel. The risk of giving in to the tempta-
tion of going back to the old ways of a world
closed off by its own certainties and habits is
always lurking. The temptation to strategi-
cally adapt oneself in order to avoid the con-
tinuous challenges involved in converting the
heart has been present throughout the his-
tory of the Church.
The word of the Lord Jesus helps us take
on the challenge of a change that requires
acceptance, as well as discernment. We must
create structures that are truly fit to preserve
the innovative richness of the Gospel so that
it can be experienced and put to the service
of all, while preserving its quality and good-
ness. New wine must be left to ferment, almost
breathe, inside the wineskin so that it can
age properly and eventually be savored and
shared. The same is true of the symbol of the
cloak and patch: a piece of cloth cannot be
torn from a new cloak to patch up a worn-out
cloak. By doing so, tension is put on the old
cloak, causing it to fray even further and
rendering the patch useless.
3. The Gospel message cannot be reduced

to something purely sociological. Rather,
it is a spiritual guideline that is always new.
14
It requires the open-mindedness to imagine

prophetic and charismatic ways to live the
sequela of Christ through suitable, and possi-
bly unprecedented, frameworks. There is a
whole range of innovative diaconia expe-
rienced outside of the usual schemes that
must also find a place in new institutional
structures. These structures must be able to
measure up to expectations and challenges.
A renewal process that cannot affect and
change the structures, in addition to hearts,
will not produce real and lasting change.
One must always bear in mind that a simple
stretch, no matter how generous, can lead to
rejection. Rejection means losing the excite-
ment of the inevitable change that not only
needs to be acknowledged, but experienced
to the fullest, and certainly not merely en-
dured or put up with.
If we apply this evangelical principle to
what the Church went through in the mo-
ment of grace of the Second Vatican Council,
we can truly speak of new wine. Under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Church, as
the Lord’s vineyard, was able to experience a
renewed spiritual harvest through the contri-
bution and generosity of all. We were all able
to rejoice in the lively experiences of renewal
that manifested in new catechetical itinerar-
ies, renewed models of holiness and fraternal
15
life, renewed government structures, new

theological currents, unimagined forms of
solidarity and Diaconia, etc. A true harvest
that we can perceive with feelings of abun-
dant and joyful gratitude. Nevertheless, all of
these signs of renewal and forms of change
coexist – and this is also normal – with old
habits that have been sanctified and fossil-
ized. With their rigidity and inability, these
habits resist actually adapting to this ongoing
renewal. Conflicts, even severe conflicts, can
arise from this coexistence of styles. From
these conflicts emerge reciprocal accusations
of not being superlative wine (Sg 7:10) but of
being spoiled by foaming wine (Ps 75:9). There
are even those who judge others as sour grapes
(cf. Is 5:2) for not being faithful enough to
what has always been established and tried.
One should be neither upset nor discouraged
by this. We cannot develop structures that are
fit for true renewal without taking into ac-
count time to process and inevitable disputes
along the way. Authentic and long-lasting
changes are never automatic.
Normally, these changes have to face a
whole range of resistance and setbacks. It
must be recognized that this resistance is not
always malicious or in bad faith. Today, more
than fifty years after the conclusion of the
Second Vatican Council, we must acknowl-
16
edge that letting ourselves become upset and

destabilized by the animating incitements of
the Spirit is never painless. This certainly ap-
plies to the consecrated life and its seasons
that, at times, may have more or fewer re-
sponses to the signs of the times and the
inspirations of the Holy Spirit.
Post-conciliar renewal
4. A bit of history can illuminate and con-

firm our path as we look ahead and continue
walking in the spirit of renewal established by
the Council. Being aware of what we have
experienced in this half-century becomes
even more important if we want to under-
stand the impetus in the words and gestures
of Pope Francis.
The accomodata renovatio of life and the
discipline of the institutes of consecrated life
“for their needs in our time” 1 was an explicit
request of the Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council. The Council Fathers laid the theo-
logical and ecclesiological foundation for this
renewal specifically in Chapter VI of the dog-
1
VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL II, Decree on the
Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life Perfectae Cari-
tatis, 1.
17
matic Constitution Lumen Gentium 2. In the

Decree Perfectae Caritatis, they gave more ap-
propriate directives and practical guidelines
for the spiritual, ecclesial, charismatic and
institutional adaptation of consecrated life in
the Church. Out of the other conciliar texts,
only the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium
and the Decree Ad Gentes specified a few prac-
tical implications of some significance for re-
ligious life.
Half a century later, we can recognize, with
satisfaction, that the effect of the conciliar
mens on consecrated life has been particularly
great. Their style of unanimous discernment
and explorative attention generated highly
effective impulses and methods for the adap-
tation. The first step towards this profound
change was for consecrated life to under-
stand anew who it was. In the pre-conciliar
period, religious life, in all of its forms and
structures, represented the united and opera-
tional force for the life and mission of a
militant Church seen to be in constant oppo-
sition to the world. In the new season of
openness and dialogue with the world, conse-
crated life felt pushed to the forefront of
exploring the coordinates of a new Church-
2
Cf. VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL II, Dogmatic Con-
stitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, 43-47.
18
world relationship to the benefit of the entire

ecclesial body. This is one of the most inspi-
rational and transformative themes of the
Second Vatican Council announced by Saint
John XXIII. Along these lines of dialogue and
acceptance, consecrated life has normally,
even if not always, willingly embraced the
risks of this new adventure of openness, lis-
tening, and service. In order to really concret-
ize their relational style and presence in the
modern world marked by trust, consecrated
life put its many charisms and its spiritual
heritage into play, exposing itself and openly
embracing new paths.
5. We can acknowledge that, in these fifty

years that separate us from the conciliar
event, all institutes of consecrated life have
done their best to respond to the demands of
Vatican II. The renewal effort was especially
generous and creative in the first 30 years
after the Council and even into the next ten
years, although the rhythm had slowed down
and the dynamism had become a little tired.
Normative texts and institutional forms were
revised; first, in response to the urging of the
Council, and later, to conform to the regula-
tions of the new Code of Canon Law (1983).
Great effort was put forth by each religious
family in rereading and interpreting the
19
“original spirit of the institutes” 3. This work

had two main purposes: to faithfully guard
“the mind and designs of the founders” 4 and
“to propose anew the enterprising initiative,
creativity and holiness of their founders and
foundresses in response to the signs of the
times emerging in today’s world” 5.
The outcomes of all this effort to revise the
identity, lifestyle and relative ecclesial mission
were also accompanied by courageous and
patient research into new formative itinerar-
ies that would be suitable for the nature and
charism of each religious family. Many as-
pects of the governing structures and the
management of economic goods and activi-
ties were also adapted to “the modern physi-
cal and psychological circumstances of the
members... to the necessities of the aposto-
late, the demands of the culture, and social
and economic circumstances” 6.
3
tatis, 2.
4
CIC, c. 578.
5
JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Vita Consecrata (March 25, 1996), 37.
6
tatis, 3.
20
6. After this brief glance at the history of

the last fifty years, we can acknowledge, with
humility, that consecrated life has exercised
dwelling in the horizons of the Council with
passion and exploratory audacity. We must
thank God and each other, sincerely and
truly, for the progress we have made on this
journey.
The supreme Magisterium of the Popes
has been of great support along this gener-
ous and laborious journey. Through various
kinds of texts and interventions, the Pontiffs
have regularly helped consolidate new con-
victions, discern new paths, and guide new
choices regarding presence and service with
wisdom and ecclesial sense in constant listen-
ing to the promptings of the Spirit. The Post-
Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Vita Consecrata
(1996), in which the best results of post-
conciliar adjustment are accepted and con-
firmed, must be considered a document of
exceptional theological, ecclesial and guid-
ing value.
Contemplation and the fontal reference
to the mystery of the Holy Trinity are of
particular importance in Vita Consecrata :
“The consecrated life proclaims what the Fa-
ther, through the Son and in the Spirit,
brings about by his love, his goodness and his
beauty. In fact, ‘the religious state reveals the
21
transcendence of the Kingdom of God and its

requirements over all earthly things. To all
people it shows wonderfully at work within
the Church the surpassing greatness of the
force of Christ the King and the boundless
power of the Holy Spirit’. […] The conse-
crated life thus becomes one of the tangible
seals which the Trinity impresses upon his-
tory, so that people can sense with longing
the attraction of divine beauty” 7. The conse-
crated life becomes confessio trinitatis even
in its grappling with the challenge of frater-
nal life “whereby consecrated persons stri-
ve to live in Christ with one heart and soul
(Ac 4:32)” 8. In this trinitarian perspective, we
see the great challenge of unity emerge and
the need for prayerful, testimonial, and mar-
tyrial ecumenism as the best way forward
for consecrated men and women: “Christ’s
prayer to the Father before his Passion, that
his disciples may be one (cf. Jn 17:21-23),
lives on in the Church’s prayer and activity.
How can those called to the consecrated life
not feel themselves involved?” 9.
7
8
Ivi, 21.
9
Ivi, 100.
22
Even the hard-working and wise guidance

of this Congregation offered, in many ways
– Instructions, Letters, Directives – and with pe-
riodical vigilance, some guiding principles on
how to persevere with authenticity through
the conciliar adaptation and how to remain
faithful, with unanimous discernment and
prophetic audacity, to the ecclesial identity
and function of the consecrated life.
This, however, does not mean denying fra-
gility and fatigue, which are to be recognized
and named so that the journey we have un-
dertaken not only continues, but becomes
even more radicalized in terms of fidelity and
creativity. We must also take a realistic look at
the new situations in which consecrated life is
called to challenge and incarnate itself.
New paths challenge us

7. The rich multiplicity of diaconia exer-
cised by consecrated life in recent decades
has been radically reduced due to social,
economic, political, and scientific evolution.
The same goes for state intervention in many
sectors of work that were historically typical of
religious people. All this has changed the way
religious people relate to the context in
which they live and their usual way of inter-
acting with others. In the meantime, new and
23
unprecedented emergencies have given rise

to new needs that have yet to be responded to
and that are knocking on the door of the
creative faithfulness of consecrated life in all
its forms.
New poverties challenge the conscience of
many consecrated people and urge historic
charisms to take on new forms of generous
response in the face of new situations and the
new rejects of history. From here, the rise of
new forms of presence and service in the
many existential peripheries. We must not
forget about the proliferation of volunteer
initiatives in which men and women, lay and
religious, are involved in a synergy that is
rich in “renewed apostolic dynamism” 10, so as
to “[render] more effective the response to
the great challenges of our time, thanks to
the combined contributions of the various
gifts” 11. This symphony is based on the redis-
covery of the common baptismal root shared
by all of Christ’s disciples who are called to
unite their efforts and imaginations to make
this world more beautiful and livable for all.
Many congregations, especially female
congregations, have started focusing on the
foundations in young Churches, and they
10
Ivi, 55.
11
Ivi, 54.
24
have passed from almost entirely monocultural

contexts to the challenge of multiculturalism.
International communities were established
that, for some institutes, represented the first
courageous experience in leaving their geo-
graphic and cultural boundaries. Experiences
of diaconia and presence were started in un-
known or multi-religious contexts; new com-
munities inserted themselves into difficult
environments, often at the risk of various
forms of violence. These experiences have
brought about great changes within religious
families, both as a cultural ethos to share and
as Church models and innovative styles of
spirituality. This exodus has naturally created
problems for the traditional formative frame-
work which was unsuitable for the new voca-
tions and contexts. All of this is certainly a
great asset, but it is also a source of much
tension that, at times, has reached the break-
ing point, especially in congregations with
less missionary experience.
8. The modern evolution of society and

cultures, which are undergoing rapid and ex-
tensive unexpected and chaotic changes, has
also exposed consecrated life to the continual
challenges of adjusting. This constantly re-
quires new responses and it approaches crises
of projectuality and charismatic profile. The
25
sign of this crisis is the obvious effort being

made. We must acknowledge that in some
cases, it is a matter of being unable to pass
from an ordinary administration (manage-
ment) to a guide who measures up to the new
situation in which it is important to act wisely.
It is not an easy task to go from the simple
administration of a well-known situation to
leading others towards unknown destinations
and ideals with a conviction that generates
real trust. It is not enough to focus on strate-
gies of mere survival, but requires the neces-
sary freedom to launch processes, as Pope
Francis continues to remind us. A ministry to
lead that can solicit real syndonality by foster-
ing a dynamism of synergy is becoming ever
more necessary. Only in this communion of
intents will it be possible to manage the tran-
sition with patience, wisdom and foresight.
Some matters have become more and
more complex and paralyzing for conse-
crated life and its institutions over time. The
situation of accelerated change is risks entan-
gling the consecrated life, forcing it to get by
on emergencies instead of horizons. At times,
it seems as though consecrated life is almost
completely wrapped up in managing the day-
to-day or in merely surviving. This way of
facing reality is detrimental to a life that is full
of meaning and capable of prophetic witness.
26
The constant management of increasingly

compelling emergencies consumes more en-
ergy than one might think. Unfortunately, the
risk is that one may get completely wrapped
up in containing problems rather than imag-
ining paths. The charismatic impulse of the
Council seems almost to have failed in this
frantic struggle. The great commitment to
renewal and creativity seems to have been
recently followed by stagnation with no way
out just as we are being called upon to openly
embrace new exoduses. In many cases, a fear
of the future debilitates and devitalizes that
prophetic ministry – which Pope Francis in-
sists upon 12 – that consecrated life is called to
exercise in the Church for the good of all
humanity.
9. At this point of the journey, it is healthy

and necessary to stop and discern the quality
and degree of maturation of the new wine that
has been produced in the long season of
post-conciliar renewal. Some questions arise.
The first question concerns the harmony and
coherence between the structures, organisms,
roles, and styles that have been around for
12
FRANCIS, Apostolic Letter to all consecrated people on
the occasion of the Year of Consecrated Life (November
21, 2014).
27
some time and those that have been intro-

duced in recent years to respond to the con-
ciliar dictate 13. The second question attempts
to evaluate whether the elements of media-
tion in operation today in consecrated life are
fit to embrace the most obvious changes and
to support – in the metaphor of the new wine
that ferments – its necessary transition to-
wards full stability. Lastly, we can ask our-
selves if what we savor and offer to drink is
actually new wine that is full-bodied and
wholesome? Or, despite all the good inten-
tions and praiseworthy effort, is it wine that
has been watered down to make up for the
acids – the consequence of a bad harvest and
poorly pruned grapevines?
These questions can be asked with simplic-
ity and parresìa, without giving in to feelings
of guilt which might block us further. We can
take some time to look at what is going on
inside the wineskins of our consecrated life.
It is a matter of determining the quality of the
new wine and the best wine, and not about
placing blame or accusing. We are called to
pour this wine, of which we are the loving
13
Cf. VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL II, Decree on the
tatis, 2-4.
28
keepers, for the joy of all, especially the poor

and the little ones.
We must not be afraid to honestly acknowl-
edge how, despite a series of changes, the old
institutional framework struggles to give way
to new models in a decisive manner. Perhaps
the entire constellation of languages and
models, values and duties, spirituality and
ecclesial identity that we are used to has not
yet left room to for the testing and stabilizing
of the new paradigm born of inspiration and
post-conciliar practice. We are undergoing a
period of necessary and patient revision of
everything that makes up the heritage and
identity of consecrated life inside the Church
and before history. We must also indicate and
interpret that tenacious resistance that had
been hidden for a long time, but that has now
reappeared explicitly in many contexts even
as a possible response to an ill-concealed
sense of frustration. In some of the realities of
consecrated life, sometimes even relevant
from a numerical point of view or from the
point of view of available means, we are un-
able to accept the signs of the new. As we are
used to the taste of old wine and reassured by
proven modalities, we are not really open to
any change unless it is substantially irrelevant.
29
10. After having presented and shared the

state in which consecrated life currently finds
itself, we would like to present some inconsis-
tencies and resistances. This kind of sharing
is being offered in truth and loyalty. We can
no longer postpone the task of understand-
ing together where the knot is that needs to
be untangled in order to come out of paraly-
sis and overcome fears regarding the future.
In addition to trying to name what is blocking
that dynamism of growth and renewal that
belongs to the prophecy of the consecrated
life, it seems appropriate to give some guide-
lines so as not to remain imprisoned by fear
or laziness. In this sense, we will try to offer
some suggestions regarding formative paths,
the legal advice needed to move forward, and
some advice regarding the ministry of author-
ity so that it may be at the service of a truly
communal style of fraternal life. Moreover,
we find it necessary to pay special attention to
two more topics that are of a sensitive nature
in the consecrated life: formation and the
communion of goods.
At the basis of every journey, we find it
important to underline the need for conse-
crated men and women to have a new aspira-
tion to holiness, which is unthinkable without
a jolt of renewed passion for the Gospel at the
service of the Kingdom. We are moved to this
30
journey by the Spirit of the Risen One who

continues to speak to the Church through his
inspirations.
Pope Francis confirms us in this journey:
“For new wine, new wineskins. The newness
of the Gospel. What does the Gospel bring
us? Joy and newness. To what is new, newness;
to new wine, new wineskins. To not have fear
of making changes according to law of the
Gospel. This is why the Church asks us, all of
us, for a few changes. She asks us to leave
aside fleeting structures; they aren’t neces-
sary! And get new wineskins, those of the
Gospel. The Gospel is newness, the Gospel is
a feast. And one can fully live the Gospel only
in a joyous heart and in a renewed heart.
Room for the laws of the Beatitudes, the joy
and freedom that the newness of the Gospel
brings us. The Lord gives us the grace of not
being prisoners, but the grace of joy and of
the freedom which brings us the newness of
the Gospel” 14.
14
FRANCIS, Morning Meditation in the Chapel of the
Domus Sanctae Marthae, Rome (September 5, 2014).
31
II.
ONGOING CHALLENGES
11. What Jesus says about resistance to

change – because the old is good (cf. Lk 5:39) –
is a phenomenon that we come across in
all human operations and cultural systems.
As the Gospel teaches in the parables of the
good wheat and the darnel (Mt 13:25-30)
and the dragnet full of good and bad fish
(Mt 13:47-48), good works are often mixed
in with those that are not as good. While this
is not meant to surprise us, it should keep
us continuously vigilant in recognizing the
limits and fragilities that hinder the pro-
cesses needed for an authentic and credible
witness.
Every stabilized system tends to resist
change and work to maintain its position.
Sometimes this is done by concealing incon-
sistencies, other times, by accepting to tarnish
old and new, by denying reality and frictions
in the name of fictitious harmony, or even by
concealing its own objectives through super-
ficial adjustments. Unfortunately, there are
33
plenty of examples of adhesion that is purely

formal, while lacking the proper conversion
of heart.
Vocation and identity

12. With healthy realism, we must first of
all mention the continuously high number of
people abandoning the religious life. It is
important to shed light on the main reasons
for this abandonment, which is taking place
both after the early stages of formation (pro-
fession, ordination) and at an advanced age.
This phenomenon has now been recorded in
every cultural and geographic context.
It must be stated clearly that this is not
always and only a matter of emotional crises.
These emotional crises are often the result of
some remote disappointment caused by an
inauthentic community life. The difference
between what is being put forward in terms of
values and what is actually experienced can
even lead to a crisis of faith. The excessive
number of pressing and exaggeratedly urgent
activities may not allow for a solid spiritual
life that is capable of nourishing and sustain-
ing the desire for fidelity. In some cases, the
isolation of younger members of predomi-
nantly elderly communities that struggle to
enter into the style of spirituality, prayer and
34
pastoral activity required by the new evange-

lization risks weakening their hope for a real
promise of life. This frustration can some-
times make abandonment seem like the only
way to avoid giving in.
Sociological research has shown that young
people do have aspirations towards genuine
values that they are willing to commit to seri-
ously. Young people are open to transcen-
dence and are capable of becoming passion-
ate about causes of solidarity, justice and free-
dom. Through its standardized styles – that
are too often out of cultural context – and its
perhaps excessive apprehension over manag-
ing works, the religious life runs the risk of
not intercepting the deepest desire of young
people. This creates a gap that renders gen-
erational exchange even more difficult and
the necessary intergenerational dialogue too
hard.
We must, therefore, ask ourselves some
serious questions about our formative system.
We have certainly made some positive chan-
ges in recent years that are taking us in the
right direction. These changes, however,
have been carried out irregularly and have
not modified the structures that are essential
in supporting formation. Despite all of the
effort and hard work put into formation, it
does not seem to reach and truly transform
35
the heart of people. There is the impression

that the formation process is more informa-
tive than it is performative. The result is that
people maintain a certain fragility, both in
their existential convictions and in their jour-
ney of faith. This leads to minimal psychologi-
cal and spiritual endurance and the subse-
quent inability to live one’s own mission with
openness and courage when it comes to dia-
logue with culture and social and ecclesial
integration.
13. The recent evolution of many insti-

tutes has made the problem of integrating
different cultures even more acute. Some in-
stitutes now find themselves in a situation
that is hard to manage: on one side, a few
dozen elderly members who are tied to the
classic, and sometimes altered, cultural and
institutional traditions, and on the other, a
large number of young members from differ-
ent cultures who tremble, who feel marginal-
ized, and who no longer accept subordinate
roles. The desire to take on responsibilities to
get out of a situation of submission could put
pressure on some decision-making offices.
This can cause experiences of suffering, mar-
ginalization, and misunderstanding that risk
putting a strain on the fundamental process
of inculturation of the Gospel.
36
This difficulty in inculturation reveals the

growing distance between a classic way of
thinking about consecrated life and its stan-
dardized forms and the differing way in
which it is perceived and desired in emerg-
ing ecclesial and cultural contexts. We must
take note of the de-westernization, or de-
europeanization, of consecrated life that
seems to be keeping up with the massive pro-
cess of globalization. It is becoming increas-
ingly clear that the most important thing is
not the preservation of forms; it is the willing-
ness, in creative continuity, to rethink the
consecrated life as the evangelical memory of
a permanent state of conversion from which
intuitions and concrete choices originate.
Formative choices
14. Institutes have made considerable ef-
fort in this area, also thanks to the help of
initiatives from various national and interna-
tional Conferences of Major Superiors. De-
spite all this work, there is still little integra-
tion between theological and anthropological
points of view regarding formation, the for-
mative model and educational pedagogy.
This is more than just a theoretical matter
because this scarse integration does allow for
interaction and dialogue between the two es-
37
sential and indispensable components of a

journey of growth: the spiritual dimension
and the human dimension. We can no longer
think that these two dimensions act autono-
mously without being cared for in a comple-
mentary and harmonious way.
Caring for the harmonious growth be-
tween the spiritual and human dimensions
involves paying attention to the specific an-
thropologies of the various cultures and to the
sensibility of new generations, with particular
emphasis on life’s new contexts. Only a pro-
found new understanding of the symbolism
that really touches the heart of new genera-
tions can prevent the danger of settling for an
adhesion that is only superficial, even trendy,
and where it seems that the search for out-
ward signs gives security of identity. The need
is becoming urgent for discernment of voca-
tional motivations with emphasis on the dif-
ferent cultural and continental areas 1.
15. Even though every institute has been

equipped with its own Ratio formationis in re-
cent years, the application of the formative
1
Cf. CONGREGATION FOR INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED
LIFE AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE, Starting Afresh from
Christ. A Renewed Commitment to Consecrated Life in the Third
Millennium (May 19, 2002), 19.
38
process is often improvised and belittled.

This happens particularly in female insti-
tutes where the urgency of their work often
takes priority over a fruitful, systematic and
organic formative journey. The pressure from
their work and commitments on the day-to-
day management of the communities runs
the risk of creating a detrimental setback in
the progress made in the immediate post-
conciliar period.
In this perspective, one should avoid in-
consistent attendance of theological courses
and exclusive attendance of courses for pro-
fessional degrees, thereby protecting the bal-
ance of formation to the consecrated life.
In fact, one of the risks is that each person
creates his or her own world that is jealously
closed off to being shared. This way, in the
near future, we will not only have young con-
secrated people who hold academic titles, but
who are also taught, in identification with the
values, about the life of sequela Christi.
16. Many institutes lack individuals who

have the adequate amount of preparation to
take on the formative task. This is a rather
common issue, especially in smaller institu-
tes that have expanded to other continents.
We must always keep in mind that formation
cannot be improvised and that it demands
39
remote and continuous preparation. Without

a solid formation of the formators, the pre-
pared and trustworthy brothers and sisters of
this ministry would not be able to provide the
youngest members with real and promising
accompaniment. For formation to be effec-
tive, it must be based on a strictly personal
pedagogy and not limited to just one solution
for all values, spiritualities, times, styles and
ways. We are faced with the challenge of a
personalization of formation where the initia-
tory model is recovered. Initiation requires
contact between the master and the disciple,
walking side by side in trust and hope.
In this context, it is necessary to pay close
attention when choosing men and women
formators. Their main mission is to convey to
those entrusted to them “the beauty of follow-
ing Christ and the value of the charism by
which this is accomplished” 2. Most impor-
tantly, they are required to be “very familiar
with the path of seeking God” 3.
All too often, young men and women be-
come prematurely very involved in the man-
agement of activities, making it quite difficult
to pursue a serious formation. This cannot
2
3
Idem.
40
only be entrusted to those who are directly

in charge of the formation of young people,
as though it were only their problem; it re-
quires the harmonious and appropriate col-
laboration and participation of the entire
community, the place where “initiation into
the hardships and joys of community life
takes place” 4. It is through the fraternal life
that one learns to accept others as a gift from
God, accepting their positive traits along with
their differences and limitations. It is through
the fraternal life that one learns to share the
gifts received for the building up of all. It is
through the fraternal life that one learns the
missionary dimension of consecration 5.
There is the risk that continuous forma-
tion gets talked about a lot, but that very
little is actually done. Organizing theoretical
courses on theology and covering themes of
spirituality is not enough; it is urgent that we
develop a culture of permanent formation.
This culture should include not only the
enunciation of theoretical concepts, but also
the ability to review and verify the real lived
experience within the community. Further-
more, permanent formation, as an opportu-
nity for reflection and revision, is not to be
4
Ivi, 67.
5
Cf. Idem.
41
confused with a sort of religious tourism that

is satisfied with simply revisiting the institute’s
places of origin. There is also the risk of
relegating opportunities for formation to spe-
cial occasions (commemorations for the
memories of the institute, celebrations for 25
or 50 years of profession), almost as if it were
not intrinsic to the dynamism of fidelity in
the different stages of life 6.
It is becoming more and more important
to include a serious initiation into govern-
ment in continuous formation. This task,
which is so fundamentally important to com-
munity life, is sometimes assigned with impro-
visation and carried out improperly and in-
completely.
Relation in the humanum

Reciprocity between man and woman
17. We are heirs of the ways of life, orga-
nizational and governing structures, lan-
guages, and collective imagination of a men-
tality that emphasized profound differences
between man and woman, to the detriment of
their equal dignity. Even in the Church, and
not only in society, numerous unilateral
6
Cf. Ivi, 70-71.
42
prejudices prevented the recognition of the

gifts of the true genius of women 7 and the
original contribution made by women. This
underestimation especially affected conse-
crated women who were marginalized in the
Church’s life and pastoral and missionary ac-
tivity 8. Post-conciliar renewal saw the emer-
gence and diffusion of an increasing appre-
ciation for the role of women. The twentieth
century has been defined as the “Century of
Women”, mostly because of the awakening of
the female conscience in modern culture
which was identified fifty years ago by Saint
John XXIII as one of the most evident “signs
of the times” 9.
Nevertheless, there was an attitude of resis-
tance towards this new sensibility for a long
time within the ecclesial community and,
at times, even among consecrated women
themselves. A particular impetus was re-
cently given by the magisterium itself, en-
couraging women to embrace this awareness
of their dignity. Of particular merit are Popes
Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI who
offered valuable magisterium on the subject.
7
Cf. Ivi, 58.
8
Cf. Ivi, 57.
9
JOHN XXIII, Encyclical Letter Pacem in terris on uni-
versal peace (April 11, 1963), 22.
43
Today, many consecrated women offer posi-

tive thoughts that help a biblical vision of
humanun grow in a society marked by chau-
vinistic stereotypes in its frame of mind and
social, political, and religious organization.
Consecrated women offer solidarity to the
suffering of women who endure injustice
and marginalization in many world contexts.
The contribution made by those who reread
the biblical revelation through the eyes of a
woman to discover new horizons and styles
and to creatively live the “charisms of femi-
ninity” 10 is invaluable. The objective of this
work of intellect, which is illuminated by faith
and ecclesial passion, is to promote bonds of
fraternity and sorority among consecrated
men and women within the Church so as to
become an model of anthropological sustain-
ability.
18. Despite the progress we have made on

this journey, we must recognize that we have
yet to reach a balanced synthesis and a puri-
fication of the patterns and models inherited
from the past. There are still obstacles in the
structures and more than a little misgiving
when an opportunity arises to give women
10
JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem
(August 15, 1988), 66.
44
“room […] to participate in different fields

and at all levels, including decision-making
processes, above all in matters which concern
women themselves” 11, in the Church and in
the practical management of the consecrated
life. Young female vocations carry within
them a naturally distinct feminine conscien-
ce. Unfortunately, this is not always recog-
nized and embraced as a value. The criticism,
through which a certain disapproval is re-
vealed, comes not only from other conse-
crated women, but also from some men of
the Church who maintain chauvinistic and
clerical frames of mind. We are far from the
message of freedom received from Christ that
the Church should “proclaim […] prophe-
tically, promoting ways of thinking and acting
which correspond to the mind of the Lord” 12.
As Saint John Paul II said, and as Pope Fran-
cis often reiterates: “Consecrated women
therefore rightly aspire to have their iden-
tity, ability, mission and responsibility more
clearly recognized, both in the awareness of
the Church and in everyday life” 13.
11
12
Ivi, 57.
13
Idem.
45
True maturation of the reciprocity be-

tween man and woman is lacking in the
spheres of consecrated life. There is an ur-
gent need for a pedagogy suited to young
members for them to find a healthy balance
between identity and alterity; just as there is a
need for support suited to older members to
help them recognize the positive aspects of
respectful and peaceful reciprocity. There is
cognitive dissonance between old and young
religious. For one group, relations between
the feminine and the masculine are charac-
terized by reservedness and even phobia, for
the other, by openness, spontaneity and natu-
ralness.
Another aspect to note is the institutes’
weakness ad intra concerning this anthropo-
logical and cultural process of true integra-
tion and mutual complementarity between
the feminine and masculine elements and
sensibilities. Saint John Paul II considered
consecrated women’s desire for “room […]
to participate in different fields and at all
levels” 14 to be legitimate, yet, in practice, we
still have a long way to go. We also run the
risk of gravely impoverishing the Church her-
self, as Pope Francis said: “Let us not reduce
the involvement of women in the Church, but
14
Ivi, 58.
46
PER VINO NUOVO OTRI NUOVI Inglese 3 Luglio 2017 − 3ª BOZZA
instead promote their active role in the eccle-

sial community. If the Church, in her com-
plete and real dimension, loses women, she
risks becoming sterile” 15.
Service of authority
19. The service of authority is not ex-
cluded from the current crisis affecting the
consecrated life. At first glance, certain situa-
tions still show a tendency towards the vertical
concentration of the exercising of authority,
on both the local and higher levels, thus
avoiding the necessary subsidiarity. In some
cases, the insistence of some superiors on the
personal nature of their authority, almost to
the point of thwarting collaboration of the
Councils, convinced that they are answering
(autonomously) to their own conscience,
might seem suspect. Consequently, there is a
weak or inefficient corresponsibility in gov-
ernment practices, or even the absence of
proper authority. The government may not
be centralized in the hands of only one per-
son, thereby circumventing canonical bans 16.
There are still superiors in many institutes
15
FRANCIS, Speech on the occasion of the Meeting with
the Bishops of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro (July 27, 2013).
16
Cf. CIC, c. 636.
47
who do not take into due account the deci-

sions of their Chapters.
In many cases, the general, provincial and
local levels start to blend together because
the autonomy that corresponds to the subsid-
iarity of each level is not guaranteed. Corre-
sponsibility, which leaves room for just au-
tonomy, is not facilitated in this way. We have
also noted a phenomenon of superiors who
are only worried about maintaining the status
quo, the idea that “we have always done in this
way”. Pope Francis’s invitation to “to be bold
and creative in this task of rethinking the
goals, structures, style and methods” 17 also
applies to government bodies and practices.
20. When it comes to serious matters, it is

certainly not a wise practice to resort to ma-
jorities that have been established by author-
ity, thereby neglecting convincement and
persuasion, correct and honest information,
and the clarification of objections. It is even
less acceptable to have a government practice
that is based on the logic of alliances, espe-
cially if it is fueled by prejudices, as this de-
stroys the charismatic communion of the in-
stitutes and negatively affects the sense of
17
(November 24, 2013), 30.
48
belonging. Saint John Paul II did not hesitate

to remind us about the ancient wisdom of the
monastic tradition – “by the Lord’s inspira-
tion, it is often a younger person who knows
what is best” (Regula Benedicti, III, 3) – for a
proper practical exercise in the spirituality of
communion which promotes and ensures the
active participation of all 18.
No authority figure, not even a founder,
must think to be the exclusive interpreter of
the charism or to be excluded from the
norms of the universal law of the Church.
This kind of behavior can foster and reveal
mistrust of the religious family or the commu-
nity of reference in the other members of the
Church 19.
In recent years, and especially in recently
founded institutes, there have been episodes
and situations of manipulation of the free-
dom and dignity of people. Not only reduc-
ing them to a total dependence that morti-
18
Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Ap. Let. Novo Millennio Ineunte
(January 6, 2001), 45; CONGREGATION FOR INSTITUTES OF
CONSECRATED LIFE AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE,
Instruction Starting Afresh from Christ. A Renewed Commit-
ment to Consecrated Life in the Third Millennium (May 19,
2002), 14.
19
LIFE AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE, Instruction The
Service of Authority and Obedience. Faciem tuam, Domine,
requiram (May 11, 2008), 13 f.
49
fied their dignity, and sometimes even their

fundamental human rights, but sometimes
even leading them, with various means of
deception and the pretense of loyalty to
God’s plans through charism, to a form of
submission even in the realms of morality and
sexual intimacy. With great scandal for all
when the facts are brought to light.
21. In the day-to-day service of authority,

people should not be made to constantly ask
permission to carry out normal day-to-day op-
erations. Those who exercise power should
not encourage infantile attitudes that can
lead to non-responsible behaviors. This path
is not likely to lead people to maturity.
Unfortunately, these kinds of situations
are more common than many of us are will-
ing to accept and denounce, and are more
evident in women’s institutes. This is one of
the reasons that seems to motivate many
abandonments. For some, it is the only re-
sponse to situations that have become un-
bearable.
Every request to abandon should be an
occasion to think seriously about the respon-
sibility of the entire community, superiors in
particular. It must be stated clearly that au-
thoritarianism is detrimental to the vitality
and fidelity of consecrated people! Canon
50
Law affirms with great courage: “The life of

brothers or sisters proper to each institute...
is to be defined in such a way that it becomes
a mutual support for all in fulfilling the voca-
tion of each” 20.
Therefore, those who exercise their minis-
try without the patience of listening and the
acceptance of understanding give themselves
little authoritativeness among their brothers
and sisters. Indeed “authority of the religious
superior must be characterized by the spirit
of service, in imitation of Christ who came
not to be served but to serve” 21. An attitude
inspired by Jesus the Servant who washes the
feet of his apostles so that they might have a
part in his life and in his love 22.
Relational models
22. Commenting on the new wineskins that
Jesus spoke of in the Gospel, it was said that
the substitution of wineskins does not happen
20
CIC, c. 602; cf. SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUN-
CIL, Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious
Life Perfectae Caritatis, 15.
21
requiram (May 11, 2008), 14b.
22
Cf. Ivi, 12.
51
by automatism, but requires effort, skill and

willingness to change. In order for this to
happen, there must be a generous willingness
to renounce every form of privilege. It is im-
portant to remember that nobody, especially
those constituted in authority, can be consid-
ered exempt from renouncing those models
which are, at times, outdated and harmful.
No change is possible without renouncing
obsolete models 23 so that new horizons and
possibilities may arise in government, in com-
mon life, in the management of goods, and
in mission. We can in no way linger in an
attitude that knows more about preserving
our ways and attitudes than performing an
authentic renewal of them.
A revelatory indication of this impasse is
the persistent centralization of decision-
making power and the lack of turnover in the
governments of communities and institutes.
We must realize, with evangelical parresìa,
that, in some female congregations, there is a
perpetuation of jobs. Some people remain in
government, even in several roles, for too
many years. Specific general norms should be
put in place to diminish the medium-term
23
SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Decree on
the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life Perfectae
Caritatis, 3.
52
and long-term effects of this widespread prac-

tice of cooptation on positions of responsi-
bility for members of previous general gov-
ernments. In other words, regulations that
prevent people from holding government
positions past their canonical limits, without
allowing the use of methods that actually
circumvent what the norms are trying to
prevent.
23. Another point we cannot hide is that

clericalization of consecrated life has intensi-
fied in recent decades; one of the most obvi-
ous phenomena is the crisis of numbers in lay
religious institutes 24. There are also many re-
ligious presbyters who are dedicated almost
exclusively to diocesan life and less so to com-
munity life, which is thereby weakened.
Theological and ecclesiological reflection
on the figure and function of religious pres-
byters, especially when they accept a pastoral
service remains open.
We should also address the phenomenon
of religious and priests who are benevolently
welcomed into dioceses by bishops without
24
LIFE AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE, Identity and Mis-
sion of the Religious Brother in the Church, LEV, Vatican
City 2013.
53
adequate discernment and the necessary veri-

fications. At the same time, we must keep a
check on the ease with which some religious
institutes welcome, without adequate discern-
ment, clerical seminarians who have been dis-
missed by diocesan seminaries or other insti-
tutes 25. These three points can in no way be
disregarded, not even to avoid more serious
problems for the people and communities
involved.
24. Obedience and service of authority

are highly sensitive matters, even because the
cultures and models have undergone pro-
found and unprecedented transformations
that were perhaps even disconcerting for
some people. In the context in which we live,
even the terminology superiors and subjects is
no longer suitable. What worked in a pyrami-
dal and authoritative relational context is no
longer desirable or livable in the sensitivity of
communion of our way feeling like and want-
ing to be a Church. It must be kept in mind
that true obedience always puts obedience to
God first, before authority and the person
who obeys, just as it refers to the obedience
25
Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, The Gift of
Priestly Vocation. Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis
(December 8, 2016).
54
of Jesus; obedience that includes his cry of

love My God, my God, why have you deserted me?
(Mt 27:46) and the Father’s loving silence.
Pope Francis urges “communities through-
out the world to offer a radiant and attractive
witness of fraternal communion. Let every-
one admire how you care for one another,
and how you encourage and accompany one
another” 26.
Hence, true obedience does not exclude,
but requires that each individual demon-
strates his or her own conviction obtained
through discernment, even when this convic-
tion does not coincide with what is being
asked by a superior. Then, if a brother or
sister obeys at his or her own will in the name
of communion, even if they see better things,
then charitable obedience 27 is put into practice.
There is a common impression that the
evangelical foundation of fraternity is some-
times missing in the relationship between su-
periors and subjects. More importance is
given to the institution than to the people it is
made up of. It is no coincidence, according
to the experience of this Congregation, that
26
(November 24, 2013), 99.
27
Cf. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, Admonitions, III.6.
55
the main reasons for abandonment are: weak-

ening of the vision of faith, conflicts in frater-
nal life, and a life of fraternity that is weak in
humanity.
Actually, the way for a superior to guide a
community is explained well by Canon Law, as
it is in Perfectae Caritatis : “Superiors are to
exercise their power in a spirit of service […]
govern their subjects as sons or daughters of
God and, promoting the voluntary obedience
with reverence for the human person, […]
are to strive to build a community of brothers
or sisters in Christ, in which God is sought
and loved before all things” 28.
25. The relationship between superiors

and founders of new foundations merits par-
ticular importance and consideration. While
we must give thanks to the Holy Spirit for the
many charisms that enliven ecclesial life, we
cannot hide our perplexity concerning atti-
tudes that often show a narrow conception of
obedience, which can become dangerous. In
certain cases, infantile subjection and scrupu-
lous dependence are promoted instead of
28
CIC, cc. 618-619; cf. SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL
COUNCIL, Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Re-
ligious Life Perfectae Caritatis, 14.
56
collaboration “with an active and responsible

obedience” 29. This can betray the dignity of a
person to the point of humiliation.
The distinction between internal and ex-
ternal forum, in these new experiences or in
other contexts, is not always properly consid-
ered or respected 30. Protecting this distinc-
tion prevents undue interference which can
lead to reduced inner freedom and to psy-
chological subjection, which could then give
place to a kind of control of consciences.
In these, as in other cases, it is a matter of not
inducing excessive dependence in members,
which can assume forms of coercion border-
ing on psychological violence. The roles of
the Superior and the founder must also be
separated.
26. A leveled community life that does not

leave room for originality, responsibility and
cordial fraternal relationships, results in little
sharing in real life. The extent to which these
relations have been compromised is can be
seen in the practical way of living the evan-
gelical communion of goods, which changes
29
Caritatis, 14.
30
C. 630 pays special attention to this matter.
57
fraternal relationships. Pope Francis warns:

“The current financial crisis can make us
overlook the fact that it originated in a pro-
found human crisis: the denial of the primacy
of the human person!” 31.
Throughout its long history, consecrated
life has always been able to oppose propheti-
cally when economic powers risked humili-
ating people, especially the poorest people.
In this current global financial crisis that
Pope Francis often talks about, consecrated
people are called to be truly faithful and
creative to not fail the prophecy of inward
common life and of outward solidarity, espe-
cially towards the poor and most fragile.
We have passed from a domestic economy
to administrative and managerial processes
that are getting almost out of control and that
highlight our precariousness and, more than
that, our unpreparedness. We must immedi-
ately focus again on transparency in eco-
nomic and financial matters as the first step
in recovering the authentic evangelical mean-
ing of the real communion of goods within
communities and practical sharing of those
goods with those who live around us.
31
(November 24, 2013), 55.
58
27. The distribution of goods in commu-

nities must always be done with respect for
justice and corresponsibility. In some cases,
there is almost a regime that betrays the es-
sential foundations of fraternal life, while
“persons in authority are called to promote
the dignity of the person” 32. We cannot ac-
cept a management style in which the eco-
nomic autonomy of a few corresponds to the
dependence of others, thereby undermining
the sense of reciprocal belonging and the
guarantee of fairness, even in the recognition
of differences of role and service.
Regulation of the lifestyle of a individual
consecrated men and women does not ex-
cuse them from serious and prudent discern-
ment on the poverty of the institute as evalu-
ation, action and meaningful witness in the
Church and among God’s people.
28. Consecrated men and women, who

are rooted in recognition of the primacy of
being over having, and of ethics over eco-
nomy, should assume an ethic of solidarity
and sharing as the soul of their action by
32
CONGREGATION FOR INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED
requiram (May 11, 2008), 13c.
59
preventing the management of resources

from being put exclusively into the hands
of a few.
The management of an institute is not a
closed circuit, if it were, it would not express
ecclesiality. The goods of institutes are eccle-
sial goods, and serve the same evangelical
purpose of promoting the human person,
mission, and charitable and supportive shar-
ing with the People of God. A common com-
mitment to the concern and care for the poor
can give new vitality to an institute.
This solidarity, which is certainly lived
within every institute and fraternity, should
also be extended to other institutes. In his
Apostolic Letter to all consecrated people, Pope
Francis invites us to “communion between
the members of different institutes” 33. Why
not also consider an effective communion in
the economic field, particularly with insti-
tutes going through times of need, by pooling
our resources? 34. It would be a beautiful wit-
ness of communion within consecrated life, a
33
FRANCIS, Apostolic Letter to all consecrated people of
the occasion of the Year of Consecrated Life (November
21, 2014), II, 3.
34
LIFE AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE, Circular Letter
The guidelines for the management of the Institutes of conse-
crated life and Societies of apostolic life (August 2, 2014), 2.3.
60
prophetic sign in this society of ours in which

“a new tyranny is […] born, invisible and
often virtual, which unilaterally and relent-
lessly imposes its own laws and rules” 35,
the tyranny of power and possession which
“knows no limits” 36.
35
Cf. FRANCIS, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium
(November 24, 2013), 56.
36
Idem.
61
III.
PREPARING NEW WINESKINS
29. Jesus repeatedly warned his disciples

against the tendency to leading the newness
of the Gospel message back into old habits,
while running the risk of reducing it to an
ethos of pure repetition. With the parable
of the new wine that must be put into new
wineskins, we are called to let ourselves be
guided by the way of the Beatitudes. The Ser-
mon on the Mount is the magna charta
for the journey of each disciple: You have
learnt how it was said... but I say this to you
(cf. Mt 5:21,27,33,38,43). If this is the direc-
tion to move in, the Lord also warns us
against every danger of legalistic regurgita-
tion: Be on your guard... (Mk 8:15; Mt 16:11;
Lk 12:15).
Jesus’ words and gestures continuously
guide towards a process of infinite openness
to the newness of the Kingdom. The first step
towards this openness is discernment and the
refusal of all that is in contradiction with the
substantial values of fidelity to God which is
manifested in openness to service: this is not to
63
happen among you (cf. Mk 10:43). The life of

Jesus Christ is a story of a new practice in which
the new life of his disciples, who are called to
be sensitive to the new logics and new priori-
ties suggested by the Gospel, is rooted.
Faithfulness in the Spirit

30. The analysis of the ongoing challenges
that we presented in the first part of these
Guidelines must lead us to this evangelical
threshold, ready to acknowledge the prob-
lematic points so as to open new paths of
hope for all. We can apply what Pope Francis
recommends: “Pastoral ministry in a mission-
ary key seeks to abandon the complacent at-
titude that says: ‘We have always done it this
way’. I invite everyone to be bold and creative
in this task of rethinking the goals, structures,
style and methods of evangelization in their
respective communities” 1.
It is, therefore, a matter of discovering new
paths towards authenticity of the evangelical
and charismatic witness of the consecrated
life. It is a matter of discerning and then
starting the necessary processes of purifica-
tion and healing from the leaven of malice and
1
(November 24, 2013), 33.
64
wickedness (cf. 1 Cor 5:8). In this exciting and

demanding process, inevitable tensions and
suffering can be signs of new development. In
fact, we are already at the threshold of new
syntheses that will arise with inward and inex-
pressible groans (cf. Rm 8:23,26) and with pa-
tient exercise of creative fidelity 2.
31. Pope Francis’ daily calls for a joyous

evangelical spirit without hypocrisies inspire a
simplification that finds the faith of the
simple and the audacity of saints. The evan-
gelical originality (Mk 10:43), of which the
consecrated life is meant to be the living
prophecy, comes from practical attitudes and
choices: the primacy of service (Mk 10:43-45)
and the steady journey towards the poor and
solidarity with the least among us (Lk 9:48);
the promotion of the dignity of the person in
whatever situation they find themselves living
and suffering (Mt 25:40); subsidiarity as an
exercise of reciprocal trust and generous col-
laboration of all and with all.
32. In order to respond to the calls of the

Spirit and the provocations of history, it is
good to remember that: “In effect, the con-
2
Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation
65
secrated life is at the very heart of the Church

as a decisive element for her mission, since
it ‘manifests the inner nature of the Chris-
tian calling’ and the ‘striving of the whole
Church as Bride towards union with her one
Spouse”’ 3. Hence, consecrated life, in the his-
toric journey of the People of God, is placed
in a privileged position in the line of evangeli-
cal prophecy. This prophetic line is the sign
and result of its charismatic nature that
makes it capable of inventiveness and origi-
nality. This requires continuous openness to
the signs of the Spirit to the point of listening
to the breeze (cf. 1 K 19:12). This is the only
attitude that allows us to recognize the myste-
rious paths (cf. Jn 3:8) of grace until new
hope in the fruitfulness of the Word is reborn
(cf. Jn 4:35).
33. Identity, with all its magnitude, is not

perceived as an immobile and theoretical
fact, but as a shared process of growth. The
generational gap, inculturation, multicultur-
alism and interculturalism that increasingly
characterize the institutes of consecrated life
can change from a place of toil to a place of
challenging oneself to true community dia-
logue in cordiality and charity of Christ. Only
3
Ivi, 3.
66
in this way can each person feel involved and

responsible in the community project “in such a
way that it becomes a mutual support for all
in fulfilling the vocation of each” 4.
These needs require a change in the struc-
tures so they can offer support to all in a
renewed trust that revives a dynamic and fra-
ternal faithfulness.
Formative models and the formation of

formators
34. In recent years, formation has seen a
profound transformation of its methods, lan-
guages, dynamics, values, goals and stages.
Pope Francis reiterated: “We always must
think of the People of God in all of this. […]
We must not form administrators, managers,
but fathers, brothers, traveling companions” 5,
and: “Formation is a work of art, not a police
action” 6.
Most institutes adopted their own Ratio
formationis in order to respond to the new
requirements. However, there are noticeable
4
CIC, c. 602.
5
FRANCIS, Wake up the World! Conversation with Pope
Francis about the Religious Life, in La Civiltà Cattolica, 165
(2014/I), 11.
6
Ivi, 10.
67
differences in language, quality, and mysta-

gogical knowledge. The revision of these ra-
tio, copied one from the other, has become
necessary precisely because formation is so
fundamental to the future of consecrated life.
35. In particular, continuous formation

needs specific care, as the Pope underlined
in his famous dialogue with the Superiors
General.
a) Continuous formation must be orient-
ed according to the ecclesial identity of con-
secrated life. It is not just a matter of stay-
ing up-to-date on new theologies, ecclesial
norms, or new studies relating to the story
and charism of one’s institute. The task is to
strengthen or often, find again one’s own
place in the Church at the service of human-
ity. This work is often coincides with that
classic second conversion that is common dur-
ing life’s decisive moments, such as middle
age, a moment of crisis, or the withdrawal
from active life due to illness or old age 7.
b) We are all convinced that formation
must last a lifetime. Nevertheless, we must
admit that a culture of continuous formation
7
Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation
68
does not yet exist. This absence is the result

of a mentality that is partial and reductive
when it comes to continuous formation;
hence, sensitivity towards its importance is
insufficient and involvement of individuals is
minimum. We have yet to find concrete
forms, for individuals and communities, that
make pedagogical practices a real journey of
growth in creative fidelity with significant and
lasting outcomes in concrete life.
c) The idea that formation is truly con-
tinuous only when it is ordinary and carried
out in the reality of everyday life is struggling
to catch on. There is still a weak or sociologi-
cal interpretation of continuous formation
that ties it to a simple duty of adaptation or a
potential need for spiritual renewal, instead
of a continuous attitude of listening and a
sharing of calls, problems and horizons.
Each individual is called to let himself or
herself be touched, educated, provoked, and
enlightened by life and by history, by what he
or she proclaims and celebrates, by the poor
and excluded, and by those near and far.
d) The role of initial formation should
also be clarified. It must do more than just
educate the young consecrated person on
docility and the good customs and traditions
of a group; it must render them truly docilibis.
69
This means teaching a free heart to learn

from the story of each day throughout life in
the style of Christ to be of service to all.
e) In reference to this topic, it also be-
comes indispensable to reflect on the struc-
tural and institutional dimension of perma-
nent formation. Just as, after the Council of
Trent, seminarians and novices were born for
initial formation, today we are called to create
forms and structures that support each con-
secrated person’s journey towards the pro-
gressive conformation to the sentiments of
the Son (cf. Ph 2:5). It would be an extremely
eloquent institutional sign.
36. Superiors are called to be close to con-

secrated persons in all issues concerning
their journey, both on the personal and com-
munity levels. It is the specific task of superi-
ors to accompany, through sincere and con-
structive dialogue, those in formation or
those who find themselves, in various ways, on
these paths. The difficulties revealed necessi-
tate the promotion of a fraternal life in which
the humanizing and evangelical elements
find a balance so that each one is correspon-
sible and, at the same time, considered indis-
pensable for the building of the fraternity.
The fraternity is, in fact, the place of eminent
continuous formation.
70
37. New professionalism should also be

opportunely prepared in the formation of
formators in multicultural contexts. “Good
structures help, but of themselves they are
not enough” 8. Interprovincial or interna-
tional structures aimed at the formation of
candidates must take on formators who are
really convinced that “Christianity does not
have simply one cultural expression, but
rather, ‘remaining completely true to itself,
with unswerving fidelity to the proclamati-
on of the Gospel and the tradition of the
Church, it will also reflect the different faces
of the cultures and peoples in which it is
received and takes root’” 9. This requires the
competence and humility to not impose a
cultural system, but rather fertilize every cul-
ture with the seed of the Gospel and of our
own charismatic tradition while avoiding the
“needless hallowing of our own culture” 10.
The synergy of new knowledge and exper-
tise can be good for formative accompani-
ment within a particular multicultural con-
text. It can help overcome forms of assimila-
8
BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter Spe Salvi (November
30, 2007), 25.
9
(November 24, 2013), 116.
10
Ivi, 117.
71
tion or homologation that re-emerge in the

long run – in the formation process and be-
yond – and trigger problems that negatively
affect the sense of belonging to the institute
and perseverance in the vocation to the se-
quela Christi.
Towards evangelical relationality

Reciprocity and multicultural processes
38. Reflecting on feminine consecrated
life means asking concrete questions about
the institutions and about the consecrated
women as individuals and as a community,
keeping in mind the complexity of our time.
It should be noted that, in recent years,
especially since Mulieris Dignitatem (1988),
the Magisterium has solicited and accompa-
nied a respectful vision of the cultural and
ecclesial processes on feminine identity,
which has an obvious (or sometimes latent)
affect on life in the institutes.
In particular, cultural diversities force a
double path for taking roots in a specific
cultural being, as well as the ability to tran-
scend limits of an ever-wider evangelical
scope. With religious profession, the conse-
crated person chooses to mediate between
their own specific cultural inscription and
72
their aspirations towards an evangelical life,

which inevitably widens their horizons and
enhances their sensibility. It is becoming ever
more urgent to explore this function of me-
diation without it being subjected to the par-
ticularisms of cultural diversity.
From this perspective, it seems obvious
that there is the need to reconsider the the-
ology of the consecrated life in its constitutive
elements, accepting the entreaties emerging
from the feminine world and joining them
together with the masculine world. Emphasis
on the specific should not remove belonging
to the common humanity. It is, therefore,
opportune, to bring back interdisciplinary ap-
proaches, not only in the field of theology,
but also in that of human sciences, in their
many forms.
39. We must give urgent and focused at-

tention to the recent and hurried process of
internationalization, especially of women’s in-
stitutes, and the solutions which are often
improvised and lacking in prudent gradual-
ness. It must be noted that this geographical
expansion has not been accompanied by an
adequate revision of the styles, structures,
mindsets, and cultural knowledge that are
needed for true inculturation and integra-
tion. This lack of renewal particularly con-
73
cerns the importance given to what it is like

to be a woman in the Church and in society,
as indicated also by the pontifical magiste-
rium. The insufficient conscientization, or
even worse, the removal of the feminine ques-
tion has negative consequences with grave
damages for younger generations of women.
In fact, many women, relying on the institute
to introduce them to and educate them on
the sequela Christi, find themselves obligated
to adopt models of behavior that have be-
come obsolete, especially with regard to roles
that know more about “servitude” than they
do about service in evangelical freedom.
40. These processes of internationaliza-

tion should turn all institutes (men’s and
women’s) into places of sympathetic hospital-
ity where different sensibilities and cultures
can gain strength and significance unknown
elsewhere and thus, highly prophetic. This
sympathetic hospitality is built through hon-
est dialogue among the different cultures so
that everybody can convert to the Gospel
without renouncing their own distinctive
traits. The aim of consecrated life will not be
to maintain itself in a permanent state in the
different cultures it meets, but to maintain
the permanence of evangelical conversion in
74
the heart of the progressive creation of an

intercultural human reality.
Sometimes, having a weak and unaccultur-
ated anthropological and spiritual view of
feminine identity can extinguish or hurt the
vitality of the sodales present in institutes of
consecrated life. There is still a lot of work
to do to encourage community models that
are suited to the feminine identity of conse-
crated women. In this regard, the relational
structures of discussion and sorority among
superiors and sisters must be strengthened.
No sister should be relegated to a state of
subjection; something that, unfortunately,
happens frequently. This state encourages
dangerous infantilism, and can hinder a per-
son’s overall maturation.
Be vigilant so that the gap between the
consecrated women who serve in authority
(at all levels) or who are tasked with the
administration of goods (at all levels) and
the sisters who depend on them doesn’t be-
come a source of suffering from disparity and
authoritarianism. This happens when the
former develop maturity and projectuality,
while the latter are deprived of even the most
basic forms of decision making and develop-
ment of personal and community resources.
75
Service of authority: relational models

41. In the broader view of consecrated life
since the Council, we have passed from the
centrality of the role of authority to the cen-
trality of the dynamic of fraternity. For this
reason, authority must be at the service of
communion; a true ministry to accompany
brothers and sisters towards conscious and
responsible fidelity.
In fact, discussion among brothers or sis-
ters and the listening of individual people
becomes an essential place for the evangelical
service of authority. The use of managerial
techniques or the spiritualistic and paternal-
istic application of ways considered to be ex-
pressions of “God’s will”, are reductive with
respect to a ministry called to confront the
expectations of others, the everyday reality,
and the values that are lived and shared in
community.
42. The challenge of the relationship be-

tween superiors and subjects is the respon-
sible sharing of a common project. This shar-
ing must go beyond the mere execution of
those obediences that do not serve the Gos-
pel but only the need to maintain the current
situation or respond to administrative, par-
ticularly economic, urgencies.
76
It is in this view that we can consider the

request that this Dicastery often receives
when it comes time to approve Constitutions
(rewrites and/or amendments) to reformu-
late the current legal terminology regarding
the words ‘superior’ and ‘subject’. This is
what the conciliar decree Perfectae Caritatis
explicitly invited us to do when it said: “The
manner of living, praying and working should
be suitably adapted everywhere to the mod-
ern physical and psychological circumstances
of the members and also, as required by the
nature of each institute, to the necessities of
the apostolate, the demands of culture, and
social and economic circumstances” 11.
43. We must, therefore, encourage a ser-

vice of authority that calls us to collaboration
and a common view in the style of fraternity.
The Dicastery, in tune with the conciliar path,
issued the Instruction The Service of Authority
and Obedience. Faciem tuam, Domine, requiram,
recognizing that “this theme calls for careful
reflection, first of all because of the changes
that have taken place in the internal lives of
institutes and communities in recent years,
11
Caritatis, 3.
77
and also in light of what more recent Magis-

terial documents on the renewal of conse-
crated life have proposed” 12.
At this point, more than fifty years after the
closing of the Council, the permanence of
government styles and practices that are move
away from or contradict the spirit of service,
to the point of degenerating into forms of
authoritarianism, cannot but worry us all.
44. The legitimate prerogative of the per-

sonal authority of superiors 13 is, in some
cases, mistaken for private authority border-
ing on misinterpreted protagonism, as Pope
Francis admonishes: “Let us think of the dam-
age done to the People of God by men and
women of the Church who are careerists,
climbers, who ‘use’ the People, the Church,
our brothers and sisters – those they should
be serving – as a springboard for their own
ends and personal ambitions. These people
do the Church great harm” 14. Moreover,
12
requiram (May 11, 2008), 3.
13
Cf. CIC, c. 618.
14
FRANCIS, Address to the Participants in the Plenary Assem-
bly of the International Union of Superiors General (Rome,
May 8, 2013), 2.
78
those who exercise the service of authority

must guard themselves against “[giving] into
the temptation of personal self-sufficiency,
[and believing] that everything depends on
him or her” 15.
45. Self-referential authority defies the

evangelical logic of responsibility among
brothers and sisters, weakening the certain-
ties of faith that must guide them 16. So begins
a vicious circle that compromises the vision of
faith, an unequivocal prerequisite to the rec-
ognition of the role of superiors. This recog-
nition does not merely acknowledge the per-
sonality of the person in charge, but goes way
beyond than that. It is a matter of trusting
and entrusting, reciprocally and in truth.
Even in situations of conflict and disagree-
ment, the use of forms of authoritarianism
triggers a spiral of misunderstandings and
distress that fuel disorientation and distrust
within the institute, in other words, doubts
regarding the near future of the institute.
Those who are called to the service of author-
15
requiram (May 11, 2008), 25a.
16
Cf. PAUL VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelica Testifi-
catio (June 29, 1971), 25.
79
ity, in whatever situation, cannot fail the

sense of responsibility which requires, first
and foremost, a balanced sense of one’s re-
sponsibilities to their brothers and sisters.
“All of this is made possible by confidence in
the responsibility of the brothers or the sisters
‘promoting the voluntary obedience of their
subjects with reverence for the human per-
son’, and through dialogue keeping in mind
that bonding must come about ‘in a spirit of
faith and love in the following of the obedi-
ent Christ’ and not for other motivations” 17.
46. “Superiors, constituted for a definite

time, do not remain too long in offices of go-
vernance without interruption” 18. This norm
of Canon Law is still in the reception process;
there are considerable variables in institu-
tional practices. The justifications commonly
adopted to extend one’s mandate beyond the
limits established by proper right concern
emergencies or a lack of resources, with spe-
cific reference to local communities. The in-
fluence of institutes’ traditions has helped
17
requiram (May 11, 2008), 14b.
18
CIC, c. 624 § 2.
80
stabilize certain mentalities that hinder alter-

nation. This ends up transforming a role of
service into the keeping of a position. In this
perspective, if the norms dictated by proper
right are unsuitable, they must be revised; if
they are clear in their direction, they must be
respected.
Careful evaluation of the slowdown in the
turnover of superiors seems to be more
present in the preoccupation to ensure the
administrative continuity of work, and less so
when the community’s need for religious
and apostolic animation is concerned. More-
over, the presence of younger generations of
brothers and sisters in a community sets the
conditions for generational change. Delay in
alternation could be interpreted as distrust in
their skills and abilities to the point of creat-
ing a gap that might later prove to be un-
bridgeable.
47. We must all remember what Pope

Francis said on this topic: “In the consecrated
life we live the encounter between the young
and the old, between observation and proph-
ecy. Let’s not see these as two opposing reali-
ties! It’s good for the elderly to communicate
their wisdom to the young; and it’s good for
the young people to gather this wealth of
experience and wisdom, and to carry it for-
81
ward, not so as to safeguard it in a museum,

but to carry it forward addressing the chal-
lenges that life brings, to carry it forward for
the sake of the respective religious orders and
of the whole Church” 19.
Service of authority: Chapters and Councils

48. In this continuous work of discern-
ment and renewal, particular importance is
given to “Chapters (or similar meetings),
whether particular or general, at which insti-
tutes are called to elect superiors according
to the norms set out in their Constitutions,
and to discern, in the light of the Spirit, the
best ways to preserve and adapt their charism
and their spiritual patrimony to changing his-
torical and cultural situations” 20. Further-
more, the Chapter “is to be composed in such
a way that, representing the entire institute, it
becomes a true sign of its unity in charity” 21.
Reflection on Chapter representation
starts from its most authentic horizon: unity
in charity. The rules and procedures for elect-
19
FRANCIS, Homily on the Feast of the Presentation of
the Lord on the occasion of the 18th Day of Consecrated
Life, Rome (February 2, 2014).
20
JOHN PAUL II, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation
21
CIC, c. 631 § 1.
82
ing sisters and brothers to Chapters – particu-

larly at the general level – cannot disregard
the new cultural and generational makeup of
many Institutes of consecrated life and Soci-
eties of apostolic life today. This multicultural
dimension must be expressed in a fair and
balanced way in the Chapter’s composition.
49. The problem is revealed when rules

and procedures are unsuitable or obsolete,
resulting in an imbalance of representation
and the risk of exposing the Chapter’s com-
position to improper cultural hegemonies or
restricted generational representation. As to
avoid these distortions, we must gradually in-
clude the representation of sisters and broth-
ers from different cultural areas. We must
also put trust in those who, in our world, are
considered too young, but who, in other civil
and cultural environments, would have quali-
fications to take on remarkable responsibili-
ties. Procedures should be made more flex-
ible in order to guarantee broader and more
forward-thinking representation to guarantee
a hopeful and livable future.
We are not only talking about the correct-
ness of procedures and the intelligent docility
to the choices of method; it is a matter of
“seeking all light possible on the will of Christ
for the ongoing life of the community”, as
83
The Rule of Taizè writes, in a spirit of searching

that is purified by the sole desire to discern
God’s plan.
50. Every decision that is made in the

heart of the assembly must be accompanied
by the will of each capitular, which is open to
the Spirit. This will does not disdain the ex-
change of contributions and points of view
because, while they are different, they con-
tribute to the search for the truth. In this way,
the tension towards unanimity and the possi-
bility of reaching it are not utopian goals, but
instead express the clearest product of listen-
ing and common openness to the Spirit.
It would not be prudent to relegate dis-
cernment to the private horizons of capitu-
lars, as if the Chapter were the undertaking of
solitary individuals. It is a matter of “[mak-
ing] contact with the Spirit”, and this means
“[listening] to what God is telling us within
our situations” in the institutes. Discernment
“does not stop at describing the various situ-
ations, the problems […] but which always
goes a step further and is able to see an
opportunity, a possibility behind every face,
every story, every situation” 22. We must not
22
FRANCIS, Address on the occasion of the Pastoral Con-
gress of the Diocese of Rome (June 16, 2016).
84
forget that the General Chapter is a place of

personal and unanimous obedience to the
Holy Spirit; this docile listening is invoked by
bowing our intelligence, heart and knees in
prayer. In this conversion, at the time of the
decision, each capitular acts in conscience
and judges, by the light of the Holy Spirit, the
good of the institute within the Church. This
attitude of prayerful obedience is a constant
in the history of General Chapters, which for
good reason started on the day of Pentecost.
51. This Chapter event also involves the

election of the Superior General. In recent
years, there has been a certain tendency to
resort to postulation. The Institute is regu-
lated by canons 180-183 of the Code of Canon
Law. Postulation is used in cases where there
is some impediment to the canonical election
of the same person or in cases of the dispen-
sation of personal requisites inherent to the
role as determined by universal or proper
law, such as age and years of profession 23, or
relative incompatibility of offices 24. The most
common case is the impediment of a new
election (or confirmation) of the Superior
General after the term of office outlined by
23
Cf. CIC, c. 623.
24
Cf. CIC, c. 152.
85
the Constitutions has ended. These particular

cases present connotations of the complexity
of contexts (institutes), personal situations
(candidates already in office), and last but
not least, contingencies that direct towards
requesting postulation from the competent
Dicastery. Some directions are specified.
Taking postulation for granted, as if other
possible alternatives were excluded a priori, is
not the best premise for elective discernment.
The required majority is “at least two-thirds of
the votes” 25. This canonical disposition is
meant to encourage discernment before re-
sorting to postulation. Corresponsibility exer-
cised collectively also entails the responsibil-
ity to explore alternative solutions. Some in-
stitutes have introduced a process of informal
preliminary consultations into their practice.
The suggested guideline should prevent the
formation of pre-established majorities; oth-
erwise it’s a short step from taking postula-
tion for granted.
52. In addition to the Supreme Modera-

tor 26, General Chapters also ordinarily elect
the council, which is the collaborative body in
the institute’s government. “A personal and
25
Cf. CIC, c. 181 § 1.
26
Cf. CIC, c. 625 § 1.
86
confident participation in the community’s

life and mission is required” 27 of each coun-
cilor: “Participation which allows for the ex-
ercise of dialogue and discernment” 28, in the
spirit of sincerity 29 and loyalty “in order to
ensure the constant presence of the Lord
who enlightens and guides” 30.
If the inevitable difficulties and misunder-
standings are not addressed in time, they
can compromise the will of understanding
and the capacity for convergence within the
council. When caring for the common good
of the institute, a collaborative body in the
government commits to taking care of its op-
eration. This also means not neglecting those
means of accompaniment (spiritual, profes-
sional, and of specific formation) that set the
premise for forward-thinking discernment.
Indeed, the council must not make taking
care of its image the first priority; it should
27
LIFE AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE, Instruction Start-
ing Afresh from Christ. A Renewed Commitment to Consecrated
Life in the Third Millennium (May 19, 2002), 14.
28
Idem.
29
Cf. CIC, c. 127 § 3.
30
LIFE AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE, Instruction Start-
ing Afresh from Christ. A Renewed Commitment to Consecrated
Life in the Third Millennium (May 19, 2002), 14.
87
worry about its credibility as a collaborative

body in the government of the institute,
above all else.
53. The new geography of the presence of

consecrated life in the Church is drawing new
cultural balances in the lives and govern-
ments of institutes 31. The international com-
position of a chapter usually expresses the
multicultural configuration of the council as
well. Many Institutes of consecrated life and
Societies of apostolic life already have a long
tradition in this regard. Newer institutes are
in a period of apprenticeship to learn how to
“make present in Catholic unity the needs of
different peoples and cultures” 32. It is a de-
manding journey that “needs purification
and growth” 33.
The recent processes of internationaliza-
tion offer the chance for a future that does
not improvise in matters concerning the for-
mation for roles of responsibility, and espe-
cially, the assumption of the role of coun-
cilor. The generational and cultural change
31
Cf. Ivi, 17.
32
JOHN PAUL II, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation
33
(November 24, 2013), 69.
88
should not allow for situations that can com-

promise the inner dynamics of conciliar dis-
cernment and by consequence, the good gov-
ernance of the institute.
Some examples of problematic situations
are: individuals who are suitable, but not yet
sufficiently prepared, or who have been made
candidates prematurely; religious who are co-
opted more for cultural distribution than for
their personal experience and/or expertise;
last but not least, choices that are made from
a lack of alternatives.
54. The introduction of brothers and sis-

ters from other cultures and generations cer-
tainly does not change the traditional role of
the council, however, it affects how the role is
perceived and how it interacts inside and
outside of the council. The different points
of view (analysis/assessment of problems)
broaden the horizon of understanding of
the realities of the institute: more from the
peripheries than from the center. Cultures
and generational change – an already com-
plex combination – should foster new enthu-
siasm to face a sustainable future within the
institute.
The initiation into a role of responsibility
is a part of experience. If experience is a daily
learning process, that learning process must
89
be supported by specific formation. Other-

wise, one’s experience will not permit the
full effectiveness of the role itself and its in-
tegration into the dynamics of the council.
We must in this case rediscover, or rethink,
the guidelines that have been developed
throughout the history of the government of
Institutes of consecrated life and Societies of
apostolic life, which prepared for the future
by investing in the present and standing the
test of time. The near future cannot narrow
the horizon: new professionalism (knowledge
and skills) can make contributions that broa-
den our horizons and, more importantly,
keep us from being marginalized by the fu-
ture, like short-sighted prisoners who, in the
long run, immobilize the overall journey.
90
CONCLUSION
55. In these decades of conciliar renewal,

consecrated men and women have worked
with generous commitment and boldness in
the vineyard of the Lord. It is now time for
the harvest, and for new wine to be joyfully
squeezed from the grapes and diligently col-
lected in the right wineskins until the fer-
mentation that comes with aging sediments,
leaving room for new stability. New wine and
new wineskins are at our disposal and were
created by our collaboration according to the
charisms and the ecclesial and social circum-
stances, under the guidance of the Spirit and
Church leaders. The time has come to pre-
serve the newness in creativity, so that the
genuine flavor of the fruitfulness that is
blessed by God can be conserved.
New wine requires the ability to go beyond
the models we have inherited in order to
appreciate the newness brought on by the
Spirit, to accept it with gratitude, and to
guard it, not just temporarily, but until the
fermentation has finished. Even the new cloak
that Jesus speaks about on the same page of
91
the Gospel has been sewn up through the

various phases of adaptation, and the time
has come to wear it with joy among the be-
lievers.
56. The new wine, new wineskins and new

cloak indicate a season of maturity and com-
pleteness that cannot be jeopardized by hasty
combinations or strategic compromises: old
and new should not be mixed because each
one belongs to its own season, is the product
of different times and arts, and should be
preserved in its own genuineness.
The Master of the vineyard, who has made
fruitful the work of our hands and guided our
journey of adaptation, shows us how to pre-
serve the newness that has been entrusted to
us through suitable means and patient vigi-
lance, without fear and with renewed evan-
gelical enthusiasm.
57. Holy Mary, Woman of the new wine,

guard the desire in us to go forward in obe-
dience to the newness of the Spirit, recogniz-
ing the sign of His presence in the new wine,
fruit of harvests and new seasons.
Make us docile to your grace and diligent
in preparing wineskins that may contain and
not waste the fermentation of the juice of the
vine. Make firm our steps in the mystery of
92
the cross that the Spirit requires for every new

creation.
Teach us to do as Christ your Son will tell
us (cf. Jn 2:5), so as to sit at his table each day:
He is the new wine through which we give
thanks and receive and give blessing.
Nourish in us hope, in expectation of the
day when we will drink the new fruit of the
vine with Christ in the Kingdom of the Father
(cf. Mt 26:29).
The Holy Father approved the publication

of these Guidelines
during an Audience on January 3, 2017
Vatican City, January 6, 2017

Epiphany of the Lord
Cardinal João Braz de Aviz

Prefect
✠ José Rodríguez Carballo, O.F.M.

Archbishop Secretary
93
INDEX
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
I. For new wine, new wineskins . . . . . 11

The logion of Jesus . . . . . . . . . 11
Post-conciliar renewal . . . . . . . . 17
New paths challenge us . . . . . . . 23
II. Ongoing challenges . . . . . . . . 33

Vocation and identity . . . . . . . . 34
Formative choices . . . . . . . . . 37
Relation in the humanum . . . . . . 42
Reciprocity between man and woman . . . 42
Service of authority . . . . . . . . 47
Relational models . . . . . . . . . 51
III. Preparing new wineskins . . . . . . . 63

Faithfulness in the Spirit . . . . . . . 64
Formative models and the formation of for-
mators . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Towards evangelical relationality . . . . 72
Reciprocity and multicultural processes . . . 72
Service of authority: relational models . . . 76
Service of authority: Chapters and Councils . 82
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
95
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CONGREGATION

YEAR OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE

New Wine in new Wineskins

Prima edizione Luglio 2017

Translated by CHRISTINA COOLEY

© Copyright 2017 – Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Nobody puts new wine into old wineskins;

The Congregation for Institutes of conse-

(2002), The Service of Authority and Obedience

the realm of words alone, of images and

The logion of Jesus

unshrunken cloth) to be sewn onto the old

matter how venerable, can withstand the ten-

2. The simile used by the Lord Jesus is as

selves have to deal with the tendency to not

3. The Gospel message cannot be reduced

It requires the open-mindedness to imagine

life, renewed government structures, new

edge that letting ourselves become upset and

4. A bit of history can illuminate and con-

matic Constitution Lumen Gentium 2. In the

world relationship to the benefit of the entire

5. We can acknowledge that, in these fifty

“original spirit of the institutes” 3. This work

6. After this brief glance at the history of

transcendence of the Kingdom of God and its

Even the hard-working and wise guidance

New paths challenge us

unprecedented emergencies have given rise

have passed from almost entirely monocultural

8. The modern evolution of society and

sign of this crisis is the obvious effort being

The constant management of increasingly

9. At this point of the journey, it is healthy

some time and those that have been intro-

keepers, for the joy of all, especially the poor

10. After having presented and shared the

journey by the Spirit of the Risen One who

11. What Jesus says about resistance to

plenty of examples of adhesion that is purely

Vocation and identity

pastoral activity required by the new evange-

the heart of people. There is the impression

13. The recent evolution of many insti-

This difficulty in inculturation reveals the

sential and indispensable components of a

15. Even though every institute has been

process is often improvised and belittled.

16. Many institutes lack individuals who

remote and continuous preparation. Without

only be entrusted to those who are directly

confused with a sort of religious tourism that

Relation in the humanum

prejudices prevented the recognition of the

Today, many consecrated women offer posi-

18. Despite the progress we have made on

“room […] to participate in different fields

True maturation of the reciprocity be-

instead promote their active role in the eccle-